Coeliac disease is far more common than previously thought, with more than half of Australia's population at risk of developing the condition, according to new research.

While overseas studies have suggested that between 30 and 40 per cent of people have the autoimmune disorder, results of the first study to assess the prevalence of the disease in Australians show 56 per cent carried one of the two known genetic markers associated with the condition.

However coeliac disease researcher and clinician at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and The Royal Melbourne Hospital Jason Tye-Din stressed that not all people who had a genetic predisposition to the disease would go on to develop it.

"About one in 40 who carry the genetic markers will go on to develop coeliac disease," Dr Tye-Din said.

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A team led by Walter and Eliza Hall researchers and including scientists from Barwon Health and Deakin University developed a new diagnostic test which includes the usual antibody test but adds a genetic test which scans for the two key genetic markers carried by 99.6 per cent of coeliac patients.

The research, published in the journal BMC Medicine on Wednesday, showed coeliac disease potentially affected one in 60 Australian women and one in 80 men. Previous estimates had the number of Australians with coeliac disease as no more than one in 100.

Dr Tye-Din said improved testing would reduce the occurrence of patients undergoing unnecessary and invasive bowel biopsy testing to get a diagnosis.

Caused by an inappropriate immune response to dietary gluten found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, symptoms of coeliac disease include chronic tiredness, an itchy rash, headaches and osteoporosis. However the symptoms don't always lead doctors to test for coeliac disease and many suffers go undiagnosed.

David Sullivan was diagnosed with coeliac disease 11 years ago after going to the doctor with symptoms of stomach cramps, persistent indigestion and mouth ulcers.

‘‘My GP didn’t even have coeliac disease on the radar, he was testing for a stomach ulcer,’’ Mr Sullivan said. ‘‘So it was a bit of a revelation to discover that yes I did have coeliac disease.’’

Mr Sullivan, national business development manager at Coeliac Australia, said following his diagnosis all three of his children were diagnosed with the condition.

He said the study findings should serve as a wake-up call for the health sector.

‘‘It is a serious health issue and there are sometimes challenges with diagnosing it ... but it needs to be considered where people present with digestive symptoms and tiredness.’’

More than 2700 people from Geelong took part in the decade-long study. Initial testing of blood samples showed 37 people were genetically predisposed to the condition. However just one person had been diagnosed. Repeat testing a decade on revealed another six people had been diagnosed.

"There is a lot of coeliac disease out there but a large amount isn't being picked up by doctors in the community," gastroenterologist Dr Tye-Din said. "For the people who had been identified as having the disease, only seven out of 37 had been diagnosed."

He said there was a high public awareness of gluten intolerance but this contrasted with poor levels of awareness of the medical field, where testing for coeliac disease was "lagging behind".